Macaulay Connections

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

The Financial Women’s Association held its Annual Dinner and Women of the Year Awards at the Grand Hyatt New York on April 26, 2010. Each year the FWA honors an outstanding woman in the private and public sectors. This year’s private sector honoree was Karen Peetz, CEO, Financial Markets and Treasury Services, BNY Mellon. The public sector honoree was Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, The American Red Cross.

Two FWA mentees were honored with cash scholarships: Ashlee Cerda, a Senior at Murry Bergtraum High School and Olga Barksaya, a Senior at Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College (CUNY). Cerda said, “The FWA has transformed me to the woman I am today.” Barksaya said, “I’m proud to say that the FWA has and will continue to be part of my journey.”

Trish Regan, anchor and reporter for CNBC emceed the event. Having hosted for the past two years, she always saw the importance of honoring women. But now, recently having given birth to twin girls, she said the awards took on further significance, causing her to reflect on “the challenges they’ll face entering the workforce.”

Additionally, many of the speakers of the evening reflected on the importance of nurturing and encouraging the next generation of financial women. Mentorship was the prevailing them of the evening, as the FWA’s new Volunteer of the Year award honored the Co-Chairs of its Mentoring Program. The awards honored two of the organization’s outstanding young mentees as well.
Women of the Year

“I’m thrilled to be honored by the FWA,” said Karen Peetz, CEO, Financial Markets and Treasury Services, BNY Mellon. Peetz explained that she had sat on the dais for past awards, “so I knew this was a big deal!” She continued, “The award has been given to so many people I respect – I’m fired up that I was the private sector honoree.”

Peetz was enthusiastic about the importance of mentors in her life. She said, “I’m incredibly moved about this honor and grateful for those responsible for getting me to this point. I’m here tonight because people took an interest in me.” She continued, “Mentors make the difference in the outcome of your life and your career.”

Peetz recalled a mentor she met at her previous role at Chase. She explained, “He saw the need to move me from sales to P&L. He sent me to London so I got that international experience.” And when Peetz was ready to move on from Chase, “He encouraged me to leave when it was time, to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.”

She explained that mentorship can make the difference for women in the financial industry. “The statistics about women breaking through to the top echelons of business can be disheartening. For that to change… we need to take an active interest in each other’s careers.” She continued, “I encourage every woman to be a mentor.”

Peetz said the best advice she ever got was from that mentor. “Have confidence,” she said. “People want to follow people who have confidence.” As for career advice, she said, “It’s very important that you – early on – that you don’t let any time go by with out setting formal goals.”

Peetz recalled a family tradition. Every New Year she and her family members would share a personal goal and a professional goal for the coming year. “I was always better at the professional goal,” she joked. She said the tradition allowed for “heavy self reflection.” She encouraged people to think hard about the skills they need to develop or improve.

The FWA’s public sector honoree, Gail McGovern of the American Red Cross was unable to attend the event. But accepting the award by video, she said, “I’m glad we’ve reached the point that instead of being the only woman in the room, there are many women in the room. And tonight, women own the room.”

She described the Red Cross’ work in Haiti, and explained that when she has asked Hatians how they were managing following this year’s earthquake, many would respond in Creole, “I’m striving.” She continued, “When people ask me how I’m doing, I answer ‘I’m striving.’”

Ann Kaplan, Chair of Circle Financial Group and adjunct professor of Finance at the Columbia University School of Business accepted the award on her behalf. She said, “There’s still so much work to be done to promote women in every endeavor.”
The Importance of Mentoring

In addition to the private and public sector awards, the FWA also gave a Volunteer of the Year award. FWA President Stephanie Hauge explained that volunteerism was at the intersection of private and public sectors. The award was given this year to the Co-Chairs of the FWA’s Mentoring Program: Francoise Jeanpierre, Columbia University Medical Center and Wendy Liebowitz, Liebowitz Marketing Services Inc.

Jeanpierre said, “Mentoring is the most powerful influence you can have in the professional future of anyone.” She explained that, “the mentoring program is as big as everyone who gets involved.”

Hauge encouraged FWA members to join its mentoring program and make a difference in the lives of the next generation of the FWA.

With tales of her humble origins, New York Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch inspired a roomful of Macaulay Honors College students, almunae, and friends of Macaulay at a networking dinner during Women's History Month in March. The students, representing each of the seven senior colleges that are part of the Macaulay program, did some inspiring of their own as they introduced themselves, describing pivotal experiences and opportunities at Macaulay Honors College and speaking about their own rise to academic excellence.

Merryl H. Tisch, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, at Macaulay Women's Forum March 23.

Jung Yeon (Christina) Lee '10 (City) listens to Meryl Tisch's words of encouragement.

Dean Ann Kirschner

Linda Macaulay addresses students, alums, friends of Macaulay at the Women's Forum.

Olga Barskaya '10 (Baruch) introduces herself.

Congratulations to Adina Leon Benitez (Queens '05) and Camilo Benitez on the birth of a baby boy.

Would New York City without immigrants be like New York City without Central Park or the Empire State Building–i.e., almost unimaginable? On February 11 as part of the Macaulay Perspectives series, Joseph Berger, a New York Times reporter and columnist for a quarter-century, talked about the impact of immigration on New York–it's neighborhoods, commerce, culture, and social life–and the riches that have resulted and tensions that sometimes arise. The question and answer period proved lively, with students in the City Seminar, "The Peopling of New York," in attendance.

Michael Grohman of Duane Morris LLP, Dean Ann Kirschner, and Joseph Berger.

Joseph Berger, New York Times reporter and columnist.

On March 25, hundreds of prospective students admitted to the Macaulay Honors College Class of 2014 and their families came to the Chancellor's Welcome Reception at the American Museum of Natural History. All gathered in the impressive Milstein Hall of Ocean Life under the life-size replica of a blue whale where they could meet and mingle with the deans, members of the Macaulay staff, and representatives and students from each of the seven campuses. They then moved to the IMAX theater, where Dean Ann Kirschner addressed the gathering and moderated a panel of students and alums from the campuses. The energy in the room was palpable–we look forward to enrolling this latest class of exceptional Macaulay students.

Amal El bakhar '10 (Hunter), Kat Mateo '11 (Lehman), and Omari Weekes '09 (Queens) on a panel at the Chancellor's Welcome Reception for the Class of 2014 at the American Museum of Natural History.

At the reception in Milstein Hall of Ocean Life in the American Museum of Natural History.

Dean Ann Kirschner addresses an eager crowd of prospective Macaulay Class of 2014 students, their parents, and families.

Chancellor's Reception in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History, March 25.

Admitted students and their families listen as panelists from each of the seven senior colleges talk about their experiences at Macaulay.

"Fixing Our Schools"

Education reform-with all of its implications for our collectve future–may be the most far-reaching social enterprise we ca embark upon. On March 10, as the second part of a day devoted to social enterprise, Whitney Tilson presented a hard-hitting analysis of the problems that lie in our system of K – 12 education. The evening was an inside look at a dedicated reformer at work on a complex problem.

Click here to view his presentation slides.

Witney Tilson and Dean Ann Kirschner

Whitney Tilson at the Macaulay Perspectives event, "Fixing Our Schools" on March 10.

The CUNY Nobel Science Challenge was the brainchild of Vice Chancellor for Research, Gillian Small, who wanted CUNY's students to contribute to science literacy in New York City. The challenge was to write an essay describing the work that went into the 2010 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Economics, Physics, and Physiology/Medicine.

Each essay had to communicate the science in a way that could be understood by the general public. More than 100 essays were submitted from undergraduates across the CUNY system.

Among the 2010 Winners were three women and one man from Macaulay.

First place, Physics

Rakefet Ben-Ari '11 (Hunter) worked in Dr. Steve Greenbaum’s NMR lab researching batteries as an alternative energy. Rakefet is currently studying abroad for the year at Ben-Gurion University where she has been able to intern in an electrical engineering laboratory and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in physics and career in physics research.

Find her winning essay here.

First place, Chemistry

Hyeondo “Luke” Hwang '13 (City) intends to major in biochemistry or chemistry. He graduated from Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, New Jersey. During high school, Luke conducted an independent study on a plasticizer/xenoestrogen known as bisphenol-A. He also interned at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s cell biology lab under the mentorship of Dr. Neena Philips. At City College, he has joined Dr. George John’s organic synthesis lab after taking a course in organic chemistry. He hopes to go into research in a chemistry-related field. As a Edward Koch Scholar for public service, Luke volunteers at a local church shelter every week.

Find his winning essay here.

Second place, Chemistry

Karishma Chawla '10 (Brooklyn) spent the last fours years pursuing a double major in Biology and Health and Nutrition Sciences with a minor in English. With an emphasis on pre-medical studies, Karishma’s academic career has been complemented with internship opportunities at New York Hospital Queens and various child health clinics in Brooklyn. Karishma has done research as an Academic Associate in SUNY Downstate’s Emergency Department, volunteered at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine’s ECHO Clinic in the Bronx and worked as a research assistant on a clinical study pertaining to Pediatric Asthma at the University Hospital of Brooklyn. Aside from her interests in medicine, Karishma also has ample experience in volunteer work- as a Conversation Partner with the Adult Literacy Program at Brooklyn College, a mentor for the Hour Children Program, and as an intern at The Council of Peoples’ Organization.

Currently, Karishma is also a fellow at the CUNY Leadership Academy, a tutor for the College Now Program, and has been the recipient of several academic and extracurricular distinctions such as the James Mantiband Scholarship (’07), Anne and Herbert Newman Scholarship (’09), and the Making a Difference in Human Rights Award (’09). Last January, Karishma had the opportunity to study Evolution and Ecology in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and just returned from another study abroad experience in Florence, Italy. She is well into the process of applying to medical school for the Fall 2010 term, and looks forward to her future career as a well-rounded and successful physician.

Find her essay here.

Third place, Chemistry

Anam Ahmed '11 (Queens) is the first in her family to attend college in the United States. She is majoring in Biochemistry with a minor is Sociology and plans to attend medical school beginning in 2011. Ms. Ahmed feels that her choice of major and minor will make her a well-informed doctor who can understand science and at the same time, take into account the values and beliefs of patients. She has been volunteering at a disadvantaged children's center in Manhattan for over a year. This past summer, Anam volunteered to teach English to 6th graders in Thailand. These two experiences have motivated her to want to work specifically with children. For the past three semesters, Ms. Ahmed has been conducting biochemistry research concerning DNA repair. Anam is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society, Beta Delta Chi (Chemistry Honor Society) and has consistently been on the Dean's List.

Find her essay here.

Christopher Figueroa is the owner of Chris Fig Productions, a full-service video production company in New York City, which specializes in event/wedding documentaries, shorts films, and commercials. The company was founded in 2005 while he was a junior at Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College and to date his company has grossed over $150,000 in revenue.

In 2006, he graduated from Macaulay with a BA in Film Production and in 2008, he completed his graduate studies at The City College of New York with a MFA in Media Arts Production. Currently, he is in his second year as a Van Lier Fellow at Bronxnet Television at Lehman College where he serves as a news reporter, videographer, and editor. In addition, his company now has offices in Larchmont, NY and New York, NY. You can find Christopher online at http://www.chrisfig.com

Wedding Video by Chris Fig

News Report by Chris Fig

Documentary Film by Chris Fig

Recently, about a dozen Macaulay alumni in the education sector have come together to explore the creation of an alumni education affinity group. Representing educators in the private and public schools, from early childhood through high school, classroom teachers, administrators and others in the teaching and curricular fields, the group aims to harness the resources and experiences of its members and offer opportunities to share, learn, network and grow.

Inspired by Macaulay’s mission to prepare outstanding future leaders to solve the social, economic, cultural, and scientific challenges of New York City and the world, the alumni education group, the brainchild of Russel M. Neiss (Queens), hopes to provide its members with the tools, resources and connections to help them in turn provide quality educational opportunities to students across New York City, the state, and the world.

Russel Neiss is currently the Elementary and Middle School Librarian for the Rodeph Sholom Day School in New York City and a Co-Founder and Coding Monkey (Lead Coder) for MediaMidrash.org , an online Jewish educational platform linking multimedia content to innovative curricula. He has previously worked in the rare book room of the Jewish Theological Seminary, as well as a traveling Jewish educator in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana with the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. He received his Master of Library Science degree with a specialization in digitization and information technologies from Queens College, and his Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and Jewish Studies from CUNY's Macaulay Honors College at Queens College. He was the receipient of the Senior Thesis Award and the Chancellor's Community Service Award, and was the president of the CUNY Honors College Student Council (now Macaulay Scholars Council). He is currently matriculated in Brooklyn College's School of Education, pursuing a MSEd in school leadership, which will lead to certification as a School Building Leader (Principal) and School District Leader (Superintendent).

Russel has also studied Yiddish with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York, and at the Vilnius Yiddish Institute in Lithuania. A recipient of the Association of Jewish Libraries Scholarship Award, Russel is especially interested in the intersection of technology and Jewish education, and is committed to helping individuals access Jewish resources and promoting Jewish literacy. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Rori Picker Neiss, a consultant in interfaith dialogue.

Eportfolio usage continues to grow, with 1,036 eportfolios and 1,353 users as of March 4. More importantly, the diversity of uses is increasing, with classes, individual students, student groups, advisors, faculty and ITFs making use of the system for a diverse range of purposes.  Encouragingly, many students who began eportfolios as freshmen and then left them relatively untouched are now beginning to return to those eportfolios to document their progress and achievements in their sophomore year.  One example is "Artur Dabrowski, Architect". Artur ’12 (City) began his eportfolio with the other freshmen in the fall of 2008, with little more than the aspirational title.

Artur Dabrowski's final project, "Place," posted on his eportfolio, "Artur Dabrowski, Architect."

However, as he is now a sophomore with more to document, he has added photos of his work, creating the beginning of an online "Studio Work Exhibition."  Because the system is accessible and has a degree of permanence, it provides students the opportunity for longitudinal exploration, reflection, and documentation.  Additionally, because the eportfolios are (at students' discretion) public, another student, Tyler Alterman ’12 (Hunter), has been approached by a French publisher seeking to use some of his design work (discovered by an author who was browsing Tyler's eportfolio) in a textbook.

The spring Tech Fair for freshmen, which concluded on March 3, provided an opportunity for independent hands-on training and experimentation, with the students researching and exploring the 67th Street neighborhood and using web apps to develop and post interactive presentations of various types.  They mastered tools with which they were already minimally familiar (iMovie), and in many cases learned new tools (Dipity, VoiceThread, Zillow) or new applications of familiar tools (Google Maps).  The projects are assembled (with some brief reflections and explanations by the students) at The 67th Street Project.

For the first time this semester, Macaulay is offering two fully online courses. One of the courses "To Be or Not to Be: the Study of Ethical Leadership" is a one-credit course taught by Marlene Springer, the former president of the College of Staten Island, with support from Macaulay Central ITF John Sorrentino.  The other, "Alternate Worlds: Imagining the Future of Education" (click here to view this site) is a three-credit course, counting as a full interdisciplinary elective, taught by me. Both courses are open to Macaulay students from all campuses.  In both courses, there were difficulties of cross-campus registration and transfer of credits to be overcome, but both courses are now in progress, serving as examples of how these cross-campus and cross-disciplinary initiatives can be implemented.  "Alternate Worlds," in particular, is attracting national and international attention as a model of how a fully online class can be designed and run with open source tools and a granular and intentional approach to privacy and sharing.

Joseph Ugoretz
Director of Technology and Learning